The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-11-17
FISCHER's LETTER

Cook Cor,;TY JArt- CHICAGO, Nov. ]. 1857
To alr. l. }. Osiesby, Governor OF the State o:
DEAR SIa-T am aware that petitions are being
circulated AMI signed by the general public csk-
ing you to commute the sentence of death which
was inflicted 'lncn me by . criminal court Of this
state. Aneat this action of sympat hizny Gni
we'll meaning Portion Of the people, solcmnly
declare that il has not my sanction. as H.Sn of
honor, as man of conscience and as Il man of
principle, cannot accept mercy. lam not guilty
of the charge in the indiCtment-of murder. i
no murderer, and cannot apologize for TN &C
tioa OF which know am innocent. And should
ask mercy on account of my principles, which
honestly believe to Dc true ana noble! No ]
an no h pocIite, and have therefore, no excuses
to ofter with regard 10 being an Anarchist, be-
cause the experiences of the past eighteen months
have only s-rencthened NY conyictiors. Tho
Quc stion is, Am Irresponsible for the death OF the
policemen ct the Ilaymarkct: and / say no. un-
less you assert that every AboltionSt could lave
been held responsible ior the deeds of John
History rcrea;s itself AS the powers that be
have at ell times thought that they could stem
the progressive tide By discriminating 4 few
"lickers' SO do the ruling class CT today Imagine
that they can put y stop to the movement of
labor emancipation BY hanging few CT ks advo
Gates. Progress in its victorious march has lad
to overcome many obstacles which seemed in
vinciblc, and many CT its apostles have dit
the death OF martyrs. The obstacles which b2r
the road Of progress today seem to DC invincbiC,
too, but they will be overcome nevertheless.
At all times when the condition Of society has
become such that a large portion Cf the people
complained Of the existing INJUSTICE, the ruling
classes have denied the truth of these complaints
but have said that the discomfort Of the portion
Of the people in question due only to the
'peruciCuS iI4fisence" of malicious acitatOrS.
Today, again, some people assert that the "d-d
a-irators" are TIE cause ut the immense dissats-
faction aIncng the worKiCg people.
oh, you people who SPEAK thuS. can you not, or
Will you not read the signs of the times? Do you
not see that the clouds on the social frmament
are thickeninG? Arc YOU not, for instance, aware
that the control of industry and of the means OF
q ION 1lfp frpf inc
in fewer hands; that the monopolists l. q, the
sharps among the capitalists swallow the little
ones among them; that trusts, "poo.S," and
other combinations are being formed in order to
more thoroughly and Systematically fleec: the
people; that under the present system the do
velopment of tcchnic end machine: V is rom year
to year throwing, more wOrkmcn on the wsySdc;
that in parts of this great and fertile land
majority OF the farmers are Obliged to mor'ceGe
their homes i'll order to satisfy the greed of mon
strouS corporations; that, i'll short, the rich arc
constantly growing richer and the poor poorer.
Yes and do you not comrreh' nd that all these
evils find their origin in the present iStutiCn 81
society which allows one portion of the human
race to build fortunes upon the m!sfortuEcS OF
othcrs-to crsave their fellow men?
Instead of try ing TO remedy these evils. and in
stead of CScCrt aiming just what the Of tie
widening dissatisfaction is, the ruling CLASSES
through their nouthpicccS-p press ulpit. etc
detaHe and nliSreprCSeLt the character, tGt'h
ings and motives Of the advocat. Of social recon
strnction, and use the riff and the club on 1hrm
and il tAc opportunity is favorable, send them &c
the gallowS and prisons. VIII this do MY SCodf
words with which Benjamin Franklin closed his
satrical essay, ''Isules for Reducing Great Eu-
plrC to q Small One, which he dedicated 10 the
English government III 111G: '':1ullu&c al their
(the 'kickersD complaints to be invented ard Ir"
NOTED by a few IA tiouS dcmaGogut s, whom if
You could catch and hang all would he quiet.
! Catch and hang few accordingly aud the blood
| Of the martyrs shall work miracles in favCr Of
your pUSc' II. C., your ON II luIn)